A woman is getting roasted after alleging her name was accidentally left off the deed to her new house—and her boyfriend’s name was not.
In a now-deleted video, TikTok user Leigha (@leileiii_) explains that she recently began closing procedures on a house with her boyfriend. However, the realtor or another party told her she did not need to be present during the closing procedures. This is despite the fact that, in New York State, all parties on the deed need to be present during the signing of these documents.
It was at this point that she realized her name was not on much of the paperwork for the house.
“I’m like, ‘What do you mean I’m not on anything?’” she asks.
While she expresses concern about the situation in her video, her worry seems to stem from the idea that there was an error in the paperwork.
“The lawyer, realtor, or somebody did something shady and told me that my name was on stuff, then took my name off of stuff,” she says. “That’s the problem.”
However, soon after she posted her video, the internet took off running with a different idea: Her boyfriend scammed her out of a house.
The Internet Reacts
Soon after she posted her video, people began making reaction videos claiming that this was not an innocent mistake, nor was it shady dealings on the part of the realtor or lawyer.
Instead, netizens declared that her boyfriend was working behind her back to secure the sole rights to the house.
In one reaction, which currently has over 1.8 million views, TikTok user Katey Lewser (@kateylewser) says she once experienced something similar.
According to Lewser, her boyfriend at the time managed to convince her to leave her name off the deed so that he could take advantage of first-time homebuyer benefits. Then, he argued, she could buy their next house and take advantage of similar benefits.
“I assisted with the closing cost, and then our arrangement was, he was going to handle the mortgage monthly payment, and I was going to handle all utilities,” Lewser explains.
Things did not end as planned.
“I thought that was a sick deal,” she adds later in the video. “But alas, when he sold that house, I did not see a penny. When he got rid of my dog—didn’t never saw the dog again.”
“Unfortunately, making lifetime decisions with someone who is not your lifetime partner is never a good idea. But when you’re in it, you’re never gonna see it until you see it,” Lewser states.
How Can You Protect Yourself In Home Buying?
Leigha has since deleted almost all of her videos on the topic. In one update, she says that the internet misinterpreted her specific situation. In another, she showed her boyfriend sarcastically celebrating with the overlay text, “Me when I successfully scam my girlfriend.”
Until Leigha offers more details about what happened, the reality of her issue is a mystery. However, homebuying is a complicated process, with many pieces that can easily go wrong.
As noted by Zillow, there are many aspects to consider when buying a home with a partner—especially if you’re not married.
In short, you have to make sure you’re protected in the event that you break up. In a marriage, there are procedures in place to ensure that each side gets a portion of the shared assets. If a couple is simply dating, no such protections exist.
As such, there are a few steps one can take to ensure they are in a good position with their purchase no matter how the relationship ends up.
First, while there are reasons why a couple may not jointly apply for a mortgage, you should have an understanding (with supporting documentation) about how payments for the house are to be divided.
Second, to guarantee that the house will not solely go to one party in the event of a split, the couple should make sure that both parties’ names are on the deed and relevant paperwork.
Finally, they should hire a real estate attorney and inform them of the reality of your situation. From there, they will be able to advise you on the best practices for your specific circumstances.
We’ve reached out to Leigha via TikTok comment and Lewser via Instagram direct message.